Tracheotomy mask



Feb. 22, 1966 c, HUDSON 3,236,236

TRACHEOTOMY MASK Filed Feb. 12, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ALLA/V6. HUDSON 0am. "MM

ATTORNEYS Feb. 22, 1966 A. c. HUDSON 3,236,236

TRACHEOTQMY MASK Filed Feb. 12, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ALLA/VC. HUDSON in-Lu AT TOR/VEYS United States Patent M 3,236,236 TRACHEOTOMYMASK Allan C. Hudson, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Hudson OxygenTherapy Sales Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of CaliforniaFiled Feb. 12, 1963, Ser. No. 257,900 2 Claims. (Cl. 128-185) Thisinvention relates to an improved tracheotomy mask.

The mask of this invention, which may be used for either tracheotomy orlaryngectomy, solves several prob-- lems. One is that in the tracheotomymasks heretofore in use, the oxygen tube had to be connected to a singleparticular fitting on one side of the mask, an inconvenience in thatoften the other side would have been more convenient, and for a sittingpatient neither side was as good as the lower end. The present inventionprovides a swiveling tubing adapter that can be moved to either side fora prone patient and can be swung to a down position where a sittingpatient may use it.

Another problem solved by the invention is that of providing a maskthrough which suction devices are conveniently inserted, and it doesthis by providing a novel central opening serving the double purpose ofan exhalation opening and an insertion opening for suction tubes orother instruments. The mask itself is easily removed if it is desired touse other apparatus which will not go through the opening, but with thisinvention removal is rarely required for this purpose.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tracheotomy mask whichcan be made disposable.

Another one is to provide a tracheotomy mask that is very comfortablefor the patient.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description of a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a tracheotomy mask embodying theprinciples of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the mask on apatient.

FIG. 3 is a view in rear elevation of the mask of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view in section taken along the line 4-4 in FIG. 3.

The mask of the present invention incorporates a soft plastic body 11made of a single unitary molded piece of polyethylene or similar plastichaving an anatomical molding to fit smoothly around a persons throat(see FIG. 1). The body 11 is provided with a soft inturned flange 12that follows a closed curve to seal off an area of the throat but to doso comfortably. The body 11 is provided with a pair of tab-likeprojections 13 having openings 14 in which a strap 15 of elastic orother suitable material is secured for holding the mask 10 on the patentwith the flange 12 snugly engaged. The area 16 enclosed by the softflange 12 extends outwardly away from the throat so that only the flange12 touches the throat. At a generally central portion of the area 16 isan open tubular circular cylindrical projection 17.

A tubing adapter member 20 is provided as a separate piece of a harderkind of molded plastic more rigid than the body 20. It is provided witha circular cylindrical portion 21 having a pair of spaced-apart endflanges 22 and 23 at the opposite inner and outer ends, about the samedistance apart or slightly more so than the length of the bodyprojection 17 of the body. The flexible projection 17 is stretchedaround the inner flange 22 and snaps back in between the two flanges 22and 23, so that the tubing adapter 20 can be rotated freely or swivel3,236,236 Patented Feb. 22, 1966 around relative to the body 11, and yetis held firmly at all times by the flanges 22 and 23 and the portion 21.

Beyond the outer flange 23, the tubing adapter 20 is provided with afrustoconical portion 24 that is preferably coaxial with the cylindricalportion 21. The portion 24 terminates in an annular end wall 25 whichprovides a circular opening 26 suitable for exhalation and also for theinsertion of suction instruments. Being centered with respect to thebody 11, the opening 26 provides great convenience for inserting suchinstruments.

From the wall of the frustoconical portion 24 a slightly tapered butgenerally cylindrical tubing 27 projects at a right angle to the axis ofthe frustum 24. The tube 27 is part of the one-piece adapter 20, whichis molded as a unit. This projection 27 is adapted for attachment to asuitable hose or tubing 28 which comes from the source 29 of oxygen orair being supplied to the patient.

In assembly, the body portion 17 is simply stretched and snapped aroundthe tubing adapter portion 21 and then swivels freely therearound. Inuse, the mask 10 is placed over the patients throat centered around thetracheotomy opening with the strap being adjusted to provide the desiredtightness. Then the tubing adapter 20 is swiveled to put the tubing 27at whatever side or position is most comfortable for the patient; it canalso be adjusted while it is in use. Thus the oxygen supply 29 may be oneither side of the bed 30, if the patient is prone, or on either side ofa chair, if the patient is sitting, and the tubing 27 may be at one sideor directly below or at the top, as desired, in any position that ismost comfortable and most efllcient and convenient. The exhalation airpasses out through the opening 26 and through this same opening may beinserted any tubes for suction or other instruments that may be desired.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, manychanges in construction and widely differing embodiments andapplications of the invention will suggest themselves without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention. The disclosures and thedescription herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be inany sense limiting.

I claim:

1. A tracheotomy mask including in combination:

( l) a flexible plastic body having an outwardly bulged forward wall, arelatively fiat horizontal crescent shaped top wall inturned from saidforward wall and providing a curved inner edge and an elongated chambertherebeneath, and the lower edge of said body lying forward of saidcrescent shaped top wall at the center of the mask and curvingrearwardly to fit around the lower throat and opening for the tracheathence upwardly and rearwardly to embrace opposite sides of the throatand adjoin with the remote ends of said crescent-shaped top wallproviding at said juncture relatively flat tab-like attaching portions,a substantially continuous flexible sealing flange extending inwardlyfrom said edges over said tab-like attaching portion, and a tubularprojection carried by the bulged forward wall of said body between saidedges, and

(2) a tubing adapter consisting of a shell having a cylindrical portionwith flanges at an inner end and an outer end thereof, said tubularprojection of said body being stretched and snapped into placetherearound between the two flanges, so that the tubing adapter isrotatable with respect to the body and can be swiveled to any position,said tubing adapter having an unobstructed exhalation openingtherethrough and a short tubing portion projecting out at right anglesto the axis of the cylindrical portion, adapted for connection to anoxygen hose.

3 2. The tracheotomy mask of claim 1, in which said relatively fiattab-like portions have strap-anchorage portions beyond said sealingflanges thereon.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,139,850 5/1915Conkl-e 128145 1,840,112 1/1932 Lane 31.3 2,254,854 9/1941 OConnell128-146 X 4 2,860,633 11/1958 Phillips 128-188 2,989,960 6/1961 Hay128-188 3,042,035 7/ 1962 Coanda 128-146 FOREIGN PATENTS 79,647 12/ 1919Austria. 956,022 1/1957 Germany.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Examiner.

1. A TRACHEOTOMY MASK INCLUDING IN COMBINATION: (1) A FLEXIBLE PLASTICBODY HAVING AN OUTWARDLY BULGED FORWARD WALL, A RELATIVELY FLATHORIZONTAL CRESCENT SHAPED TOP WALL INTURNED FROM SAID FORWARD WALL ANDPROVIDING A CURVED INNER EDGE AND AN ELONGATED CHAMBER THEREBENEATH, ANDTHE LOWER EDGE OF SAID BODY LYING FORWARD OF SAID CRESCENT SHAPED TOPWALL AT THE CENTER OF THE MASK AND CURVING REARWARDLY TO FIT AROUND THELOWER THROAT AND OPENING FOR THE TRACHEA THENCE UPWARDLY AND REARWARDLYTO EMBRACE OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE THROAT AND ADJOIN WITH THE REMOTE ENDSOF SAID CRESCENT-SHAPED TOP WALL PROVIDING AT SAID JUNCTURE RELATIVELYFLAT TAB-LIKE ATTACHING PORTIONS, A SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS FLEXIBLESEALING FLANGE EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM SAID EDGES OVER SAID TAB-LIKEATTACHING PORTION, AND A TUBULAR PROJECTION CARRIED BY THE BULGEDFORWARD WALL OF SAID BODY BETWEEN SAID EDGES, AND (2) A TUBING ADAPTERCONSISTING OF A SHELL HAVING A CYLINDRICAL PORTION WITH FLANGES AT ANINNER END AND AN OUTER END THEREOF, AND TUBULAR PROJECTION OF SAID BODYBEING STRETCHED AND SNAPPED INTO PLACE THEREAROUND BETWEEN THE TWOFLANGES, SO THAT THE TUBING ADAPTED IS ROTATABLE WITH RESPECT TO THEBODY AND CAN BE SWIVELED TO ANY POSITION, SAID TUBING ADAPTER HAVING ANUNOBSTRUCTED EXHALATION OPENING THERETHROUGH AND A SHORT TUBING PORTIONPROJECTING OUT AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE AXIS OF THE CYLINDRICAL PORTION,ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION TO AN OXYGEN HOSE.